The Northerners of Arden Street
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When Dick Ovenden and I visited North Melbourne training room last week, the first person we met with was Dick Taylor, the team's captain and coach, who, huddled up in an overcoat, displayed no symptoms of trotting round the oval that evening.
"Strained a thigh muscle," Dick explained, "so I'll take things easy tonight." Dick's guidance, captainship and clever play has been largely responsible for the North Melbourne revival, which, coming from bottom place on the list in 1931, is now a combination to be treated with respect.
"We are not looking as far as a place in the Four this season," Dick told me. "Just at the moment we are satisfied to build up the team for the future, and by 'slipping in' a new player every now and then discover a permanent side which, by constantly playing together, will eventually weld into one of the experience and ability of a Richmond or a Carlton." Dick, by the way, is the proud father of a baby girl, just a fortnight old last Tuesday — Margaret Jean Taylor.
I left Dick to have a chat with the "local boy," who has "made good," Jack Wrout, who, playing his second season of senior football, has been chosen to journey with the Victorian Carnival team to Sydney. Jack is proving a star half-forward for the blue and whites, and has been one of the side's outstanding players this season.
Jack was educated at the Christian Brothers' College, North Melbourne, but, unfortunately, his services as a footballer were denied the school eighteen. He broke his leg while playing with the primary school, and was not able to play the game again until two years after he left the college when he stripped for the C.Y.M.S. team at West Melbourne.
As a centre-half-back with this side, he attracted the attention of the North Melbourne scouts, who invited him to train with the Northerners at the commencement of last season. His form, however, though promising, did not warrant his being played consistently throughout the year . . . but this season he has definitely "come to stay."
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Another man from the North camp who is making the trip is Head trainer Lee, who has been given the job of looking after the training room needs of the Carnival side. "I look upon it as a great honor to take care of the Victorian side," he said to me, ". . . . though it will not be my first trip away with them in a similar capacity."
'But Roberty's excited about this trip just the same," Dick Taylor remarked. "Why 'Roberty'?" I enquired. "My name's 'Robert V. Lee,'" the head trainer told me, "but the boys prefer to call me 'Robert E.' "
"Roberty" has been training for North Melbourne ever since the year they were admitted to the League, though he has been head trainer only for the last two seasons. He went to the front with the 23rd Battalion in 1915, was invalided home in 1916, but as soon as he had recovered returned to the front with the Railway Unit. In Belgium in 1917, he acted as trainer to Billy Meeske, the well-known boxer and wrestler, and took a keen interest himself in boxing. He severed his connection with the sport, however, upon return to Australia, and contented himself with "barracking" for North.
After chatting with the head trainer, I found myself in conversation with the assistant property-steward, Les Riley, who is the left-hand bowler with the North First XI, and has played with the interstate juniors. Les is also property steward and a committeeman of the Second Eighteen footballers, and is ever-ready to strip and play himself when the team is "short." Les played football regularly for eight years with the Seconds before taking on the job of looking after towels, guernseys, and other "props."
It was at this stage that a veritable "ray of sunshine" (though a particularly substantial "ray") burst into the room in the person of big, genial, happy-go-lucky Tom Fitzmaurice, who has forsaken his old-time role of star half-back to prove quite a brilliant goal-kicker m the Northerners.
"You've been in the game a long time now, Tom," I said to him. "How long is it?" "This is my sixteenth year he answered. "Want a life story?' "Shoot!" I said, in my best talkie-newspaper-reporter style.
"Went to school at Christian Brothers College, North Melbourne, and Patrick's College, East Melbourne, he told me, peeling off his shirt. "Played a lot of handball at St. Pat's (and believe me, it's the most strenuous game there is!), and after I left, I played football with the Essendon C.Y.M.S. for a couple of seasons. In 1917 I went up to Carlton to see if they'd give me a game . . but they wouldn't even consider me!'
"In 1918 I joined up with Essendon—and next year I was chosen as ruckman in the Victorian team that visited Adelaide for the first interstate game since the war. I remained with Essendon from 1918 to 1920, and in 1921 I was transferred to Sydney by the Commonwealth Bank and joined up with the North Sydney team, which won the premiership. That same year I captained the New South Wales team that played Victoria in Melbourne."
"Came back to Victoria and Essendon in 1922, and was with the Dons in their two premierships and also in their memorable championship match against Footscray on the M.C.G. in 1924." In that Footscray match, Tom Fitzmaurice was about the only Essendon man to reveal his best form.
"In 1925," Tom continued, "I bought a hotel in Geelong, and was appointed vice-captain of the Geelong team. That year I enjoyed my fourth premiership. [I] remained with Geelong until the end of 1928. In 1929 I was captain and coach of Mortlake, and in 1930 and 1931 was back in the city playing with Yarraville. In 1932 I was appointed captain and coach of Warracknabeal, but North Melbourne prevailed upon me to help them out by playing one game with them at full forward—which I did, and kicked six goals. After that effort, they wouldn't let me go ... so here I am!"
Leaving Tom Fitzmaurice to enjoy a hot bath, I chatted with Selwyn Baker (formerly known as "Sel"), who is the third member of the famous Baker family of footballers. Elder brothers, Ted and Reg, first became famous roving for Collingwood, and then Reg transferred to Richmond and Ted to Geelong. Sel informed me that Brother Ted is now coaching South Bendigo, and Reg is performing a similar job with the Wonthaggi Collegians.
A little further along the bench was Les Allen, the clever forward, who is one of the most dangerous forward pocket players in the game. He went to Carlton Seconds with Fairfield in 1930, and kicked 90 odd goals in his first season with them. Thirteen goals scored in one match against the Cubs earned him promotion to the senior team, and he played with Carlton for the rest of 1930 and throughout 1931. He transferred to North last season, and kicked 40 goals for them, and is continuing to score freely this year.
Les Allen's cousin, Neville Huggins, is another stalwart for North Melbourne, and lends yeoman service in the ruck. Born at Rutherglen 26 years ago, Neville played with his home town team in the Ovens and Murray League in 1924-25-26 as a follower and half-forward. In 1927 he came to town to play with South Melbourne, and at the same time joined the Melbourne Police Force . . . but he did not stay very Iong with the Southerners, for half way through 1928 (on the last night of the permits) he went across to Fitzroy. Neville played seven games [sic, 4 games]with Fitzroy in 1929 and then joined up with Northcote, to play in both his own and Northcote's first premiership. He was with them again when the Associate team was runners-up in 1930 and next year he came to North.
The last man I chatted with before leaving the room was Jack Smith, who unfortunately tore the cartilege and chipped the kneebone against Carlton and has been resting it ever since. Only 24 years old, Jack is one of North's most promising players. He was with South
Yarra in 1926, with Prahran in 1927-28-29 as centre and full-forward, and with St. Kilda from 1930 to 1931. Playing with St. Kilda Seconds against North Seconds in 1930 he kicked 10 goals and the next Saturday, against Melbourne he scored 11.
Footnotes
Title: Round the training rooms
Author: F. Keith Manzie
Publisher: Table Talk (Melbourne, Victoria: 1885-1939)
Date: Thursday, 20 July 1933, p.32
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